Movie Review: The Mist

A freak storm unleashes a species of blood-thirsty creatures on a small town, where a small band of citizens hole-up in a supermarket and fight for their lives.

I was sort of worried going in, although most of the reviews I'd glanced over were positive, because a lot of Stephen King translations just suck frankly. Add that to the fact that the remake of The Fog was pretty bad and this looked a lot like a cross between that film and King's Storm of the Century (a movie I like) and my expectations were still low. I am pleased to report I was completely wrong. This movie is excellent.

It may seem slow to some, but I think that's because it does something not a lot of horror movies do anymore and that's character development. Sure there are monsters trying to get in the store, but inside the store is a battle between scared people about what's going on and what to do. It's a bit like Lord of the Flies between adults. Paranoia turns to savagery as they're whipped into a frenzy by a religious zealot. There's a tone of cynicism throughout.

But don't get me wrong, it's still a full blown monster movie, with lot of monsters and scares to keep you on the edge of your seat. There is a lot of dialogue but it seems like every time it gets a bit wordy, they throw a good scare at you. I think it works. I just think overall the movie is more thought-provoking than it is "scary".

And the ending. Wow. Just wow.

8/10